"Good storytellers are like good wine---the older the better!" The aforementioned sentence came from the last paragraph of The Storyteller by Rafik Schami. This short story was taken from his novel, Damascus Nights and reprinted in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror:...
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 8: Recitatif by Toni Morrison
by MHill | Apr 3, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Short Story Review, Toni Morrison, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
Toni Morrison is one of those authors I have admired and respected but not loved her fiction. I have read Song of Solomon, Jazz, & Paradise of her work. Song of Solomon is my favorite but my feelings as a reader on a storytelling level have been lukewarm at best....
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 7: What People Leave Behind by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
by MHill | Mar 31, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Short Story Review, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
My reading excursion into short stories continues with an excellent whodunit story set in a suburban Oregon town where a single mother who owns a housecleaning business of foreclosure homes ends up on the wrong end of a home explosion. What People Leave Behind by...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 98: Aura by Carlos Fuentes
by MHill | Mar 29, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Hispanic Heritage Month, Marion's Favorite Books, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Carlos Fuentes is a writer that I have wanted to read for a long time. I have seen his books, The Old Gringo & The Death of Artemio Cruz, in used bookstores for years. I have always meant to get one of those books, but never did. However, I read an online...
Wisdom From Kammbia Review 97: The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark
by MHill | Mar 25, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark is a fantasy novella set in an alternate early 20th century Cairo, where the world of djinn and other supernatural beings has made Egypt a world super-power, and two Agents of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and...
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 6: Ceiling by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
by MHill | Mar 23, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been a writer that I've wanted to read for quite some time. I've had her novel, Americanah, in my Kindle library since 2020. Moreover, I have seen her other books like Half of a Yellow Sun, Purple Hibiscus, & We Should All Be...
What Modern Classic Would You Like To Rewrite?
by MHill | Mar 15, 2022 | Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I feel like stirring the pot with this blog post. I'm a regular podcast listener and one podcast I have become a fan of is Black & Published hosted by Nikesha Elise Williams. The most recent episode I listened to was with author Maurice Carlos Ruffin. Ruffin is a...
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 5: Galapago by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
by MHill | Mar 9, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Marion's All-Time Favorite Short Stories, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Short Story Review, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
I have stated recently that I'm reading more short stories as a part of my reading life. As much as I love reading novels, I'm appreciating the short story on its own terms. Last year, I read an excellent short story collection, Sabrina & Corina by Kali...
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 4: L’Alchimista by N.K. Jemisin
by MHill | Mar 5, 2022 | Black History Month, Marion's All-Time Favorite Short Stories, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Short Story Review, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
I have read a lot more short stories in the past year. I have always considered short stories the stepchildren of contemporary fiction. Novels are the alpha and omega for most contemporary fiction (literary & genre) readers. Novellas (short novels between...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 96: Black Titan by Carol Jenkins & Elizabeth Gardner Hines
by MHill | Feb 19, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Black History Month, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
"Athletes and musicians who have made millions in their industries deserve our respect, but it is critical that blacks understand that our history, and our (often neglected) successes, run deeper than that. All children need to be made familiar with images and...